


Darkness

by beewritesbooks



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, data gets a hug, there is a criminal lack of data & picard fics in this tag and its my quest to fix that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-29 19:21:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21415363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beewritesbooks/pseuds/beewritesbooks
Summary: He couldn’t move. He couldn’t speak, call out. He couldn’t see. His internal clock told him he had been lying in his quarters, awake, for 5.38 hours – 2.91 hours after he should have been on the alpha ship on bridge.“Data?”
Relationships: Data & Jean-Luc Picard
Comments: 10
Kudos: 118





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i'm back in my star trek phase boys
> 
> there aren't enough data & picard father-son relationship fics (9!! what a scam) so i'm fixing that
> 
> (a second chapter in picard's pov will be posted soon)

He couldn’t move. He couldn’t speak, call out. He couldn’t _see_. His internal clock told him he had been lying in his quarters, awake, for 5.38 hours – 2.91 hours after he should have been on the alpha ship on bridge.

“Data?”

The voice of the Captain barely registered in Data’s brain. He knew he should answer. He wished (however _human_ that was) he could answer.

“Commander Data?” Picard’s voice was closer (but still so _far away_). “Are you awake?”

Spot meowed loudly. Data knew the cat was beside him, but he could barely feel her soft fur. _Captain Picard,_ Data wanted to say. _I am not functioning correctly._

A hand on his forearm. “Data, are you awake?”

_Move move move please movemovemovepleasemovepleasemovepleasemove_

His right pointer finger twitched. It seemed to grab the Captain’s attention. “Data, can you do that again?”

He directed all his power to following the order. It took 2.4 seconds for the command to slowly spark down the circuits to his finger. Picard’s hand squeezed Data’s forearm. “There you go,” he said. “You’re doing good.”

It was silent in the room. Data focused on moving his finger and lower the time between the command and reaction. When the time was below 1 second, Picard spoke up again; “Data, I’m going to ask you some questions. One tap is no, two is yes. Understand?”

Two taps.

“Okay, good. Can you talk?”

One tap.

Picard sighed. “That’s not good. Can you see?”

Data’s situation seemed to only register then, in his brain. He couldn’t _see_. He couldn’t inform the Captain with the one-tap-two-tap system what was wrong. If he were human, Data was sure he would be hyperventilating. The whirring of his cooling systems appeared to be his own type of hyperventilation.

“Data? Data can you see?” One tap. “You’re doing fine, son. We’ll figure out what’s wrong.” Data wanted to touch Picard, find a comfort in the familiarity of the Captain. “Data, I need to go find Geordi. He can find–”

Data tapped once.

“Data?” Data tapped once again. “Geordi can help, Data.”

Data hesitated, but he tapped twice. Picard’s hand disappeared from Data’s forearm, with a promise to return quickly. The room was silent for a time Data didn’t count. Spot was purring against his side, he mentally reminded himself to give the cat enough pets to make up for the lost time.

The door to his quarters opened again and two people walked in – the Captain and Geordi, Data predicted. “Data, I’m back.” A hand placed itself back on his forearm. Unlike before, the Captain wrapped his other hand around Data’s. “We’re going to sit you up so Geordi can take a look, is that okay?”

Data tapped twice against Picard’s hand. He felt helpless and the Captain and Geordi lifted his unresponsive body, so he was sitting up with legs outstretched. It was strange, to feel Geordi look in his head without being able to see his surroundings.

Of course, he knew what his quarters looked like. He knew that the ball of fur beside his left knee was Spot, he knew that the pressure on his right hand and forearm was the Captain. He knew, but he couldn’t see.

“Ah! There seems to be a wire loose, Data,” Geordi informed. A jolt went through Data’s body. He could not see, but he was acutely aware of the space his limbs and body were occupying.

“Data try moving. Your right hand, specifically,” Picard instructed. Data moved it obediently, relieved at the almost instantaneous reaction time. “Can you see, Data?” One tap. “Talk?” One tap.

Data heard Geordi hum in thought. “There doesn’t seem to be anything else wrong, Captain. It all looks normal,” he said. “I don’t know what the problem could be.”

Geordi continued to look through Data’s circuitry silently for the next 34 minutes. Data was reassured every few minutes by the Captain, whenever Geordi’s careful rummaging resulted in a sudden jolt.

The door to his quarters opened. “How is he?” Commander Riker asked.

Data did _not_ reach for Picard’s hand when it left his own.

“He’s moving, which is a step up from when I found him,” Picard answered. “He still can’t see or talk, though.”

“Everyone on the bridge says get better soon, Data,” Riker called. “You’ll be up and talking in no time.”

“Oh!” Geordi exclaimed. “I’ve found the problem of your eyes, Data.”

Picard’s hand returned. “What is it?”

“There just isn’t a wire here,” Geordi said. “It’s been taken out.”

Picard squeezed Data’s hand. Data squeezed it back. “What?”

Geordi’s explanation didn’t quite register with Data. Something about the correct wiring needed to run the optic systems not being there. The Captain telling Commander Riker to find whoever did it or there’ll be consequences. Geordi leaving the room to find the correct wires. Picard’s weight displacing the bed beside Data’s leg.

“Data, we’ll get your sight back, I promise.” Data reached blindly for Picard, not exactly having a plan for why. Picard grabbed his other hand gently. “You’ll be back to normal soon, son. I know this must be strange for you.” Data crossed his legs and shuffled closer to Picard.

Data wasn’t sure what he expected to happen, but he _didn’t_ expect Picard to wrap an arm around Data’s chest and shoulders and pull him closer. Data let Picard adjust him so that his head was on the Captain’s shoulder. Data listened to the steady beat of Picard’s pulse near his ear, thankful that he wasn’t deprived of all his senses.

“I’m going to make sure whoever did this knows how little we tolerate it,” Picard muttered. It seemed to be to himself, but it was loud enough for Data to hear in the quiet room. “You’ll be okay, Data.”

It was a struggle, and his voice sounded way too robotic for Data’s liking, but he managed to get out a ‘Ca-tin?’

Picard’s muscles moved beneath Data’s head. “That’s good, Data. But let yourself rest; we’ll find what happened to you when you’ve got your eyes back.”

Data found himself in agreeance with the Captain as a steady hand brushed through his hair. They would find his optical wiring, and he would get back to the bridge as soon as his sight returned. For now, Data was content with Spot pawing for attention at his leg and the Captain’s steady pulse and breathing. Enough for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm not sure how data's head works so just... suspend your disbelief and pretend that this is All Correct because i've seen about 15 episodes of TNG


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> same as last chapter, but this is in picard's pov :)

Nobody had seen Data. Not after he returned to his quarters last night, and Picard was slightly worried. The android never missed his shift, so when it was nearly 3 hours after he should’ve been there, Picard went searching.

He checked various places as he went past them, and ended up at Data’s quarters. He found the android lying on his bed. Spot was sitting beside Data’s left leg, watching Picard intently.

“Data?” Picard asked, stepping into the room. He walked to Data’s side. His eyes were open, staring at the ceiling, but he wasn’t blinking or moving. Even his ‘breathing’ was barely there. “Commander Data? Are you awake?”

Spot meowed loudly. Picard placed a hand on Data’s forearm. “Data, are you awake?” A twitch of Data’s pointer caught his attention. “Data, can you do that again?” A long couple of seconds elapsed before the finger twitched again.

Picard squeezed Data’s forearm. “There you go. You’re doing good.” Picard watched as Data’s finger continued to twitch, the time between each shortening. He wondered what had happened to the android to cause the lack of movement. “Data,” Picard said, “I’m going to ask you some questions. One tap is no, two is yes. Understand?”

Data tapped his finger against his thigh twice. “Okay, good. Can you talk?” Picard received one tap in reply. He sighed and looked at Spot, who was watching him like a guard dog – or guard _cat_. “That’s not good. Can you see?”

Data didn’t answer to that. Instead, his cooling systems started whirring enough that it was audible. “Data? Data can you see?” Picard almost sighed in relief when he got a tap in response. “You’re doing fine, son. We’ll figure out what’s wrong.”

He should go find Geordi, tell him about Data’s condition. He was the best person for the job, and Data obviously trusted him. “Data, I need to go find Geordi. He can find–” He was interrupted by a single tap of Data’s finger. “Data?” Another tap. “Geordi can help, Data.”

Picard waited patiently as Data seemed to hesitate. He nearly sighed as he received a two-tap answer. “I’ll return soon, Data,” he promised, removing his hand from Data’s forearm.

He walked out of Data’s quarters, but practically sprinted to the bridge. “Lieutenant La Forge, Data needs your help,” he said. He left the bridge with Geordi on his heels without leaving time for questions.

“What’s wrong, Captain?” Geordi asked. “What happened to Data?”

“He can’t see, talk, or move,” Picard responded. “I’m not sure what’s happened to him.” The rest of the walk was silent.

They arrived back at Data’s quarters and – to Picard’s non-surprise – Data hadn’t moved. The only difference was Spot’s change of position. “Data, I’m back.” Picard put his hand on Data’s forearm once again, and grabbed his hand with the other. “We’re going to sit you up so Geordi can take a look, is that okay?” Data tapped his hand twice. Picard nodded to Geordi and the carefully shifted Data’s body, so he was sitting upright with legs extended out. Picard didn’t watch as Geordi looked inside Data’s head, just held the android’s hand and watched for any twitches or changes in Data’s body.

Spot had curled beside Data’s left knee and was watching Geordi and Picard closely, making sure neither of them hurt her ‘father’. Picard understood; he would do the same if someone he didn’t trust was rummaging around his crewman’s head.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Geordi’s exclamation: “Ah! There seems to be a wire loose, Data.” Picard watched as Geordi connected the wire, sending a jolt through Data’s body. Geordi looked up at Picard expectantly.

“Data,” Picard looked into the still-blank eyes of his friend, “try moving. Your right hand, specifically.” The movement was slightly restricted by Picard’s own hand, but the request was followed immediately. “Can you see, Data?” One tap on his hand. “Talk?” Another tap.

Geordi hummed, catching Picard’s attention. The Lieutenant looked up at him. “There doesn’t seem to be anything else wrong, Captain. It all looks normal.” He looked back to the wires. “I don’t know what the problem could be.”

Picard nodded and Geordi went back to looking for the source of said problem. Picard didn’t know how long he sat there, holding Data’s hand and making sure he was alright whenever a jolt went through his body, but he was prepared to do it all day, if need be.

The silent room was interrupted by the doors opening. Picard looked up and was greeted by Riker. “How is he?”

Picard stood up and pulled his hands away from Data’s own, not missing the second of reaching Data did in response. “He’s moving, which is a step up from when I found him,” Picard replied, meeting his first officer in the doorway. “He still can’t see or talk, though.”

Riker nodded and looked over to Data. “Everyone on the bridge says get better soon, Data,” he called. “You’ll be up and talking in no time.”

“Oh! I’ve found the problem of your eyes, Data,” Geordi interrupted, frowning.

Picard went back to Data’s side, holding his hand once more. Riker followed him, standing by Data’s legs. “What is it?” Picard asked.

Geordi looked up, and Picard prepared for the bad news. “There just isn’t a wire here. It’s been taken out.”

Picard stared at Geordi, his grip on Data’s hand tightening. Data responded with the same gesture. “What?”

“The wire that’s supposed to power his optical systems just… it isn’t there, Captain,” Geordi explained. “It isn’t disconnected, there isn’t a loose wire, it’s gone.”

“Number One,” Picard turned to Riker, who looked just as angry as Picard felt, “go find whoever did this. Tell them there’ll be consequences.” Riker nodded and turned heel, marching out the door. Geordi followed him, making the excuse to go find replacements for Data.

Picard sat beside Data’s leg, looking to his unseeing eyes. “Data, we’ll get your sight back, I promise.” Data’s free hand reached for Picard blindly. Picard caught it gently, now holding both of the android’s hands. “You’ll be back to normal soon, son. I know this must be strange for you.” _Scary, even_.

Data crossed his legs without much grace, but Picard was willing to forgive it. He moved closer to Picard, still staring at the wall in front of the bed. Picard wrapped an arm around Data’s chest and shoulders, pulling him closer. He pulled Data’s head down onto his shoulder with no resistance on Data’s part.

“I’m going to make sure whoever did this knows how little we tolerate it,” Picard muttered to the room, unsure if Data was listening. Picard couldn’t quite pinpoint when he started thinking of the android as his son, but he was going to be a damn good father. “You’ll be okay, Data.”

“Ca-tin?” Data’s too-robotic sounding voice startled Picard. He looked to Data, who hadn’t moved.

“That’s good, Data. But let yourself rest; we’ll find what happened to you when you’ve got your eyes back.” Picard ran a hand through Data’s hair steadily, repeating the motion over. Picard spotted Spot pawing at Data’s leg for attention, seemingly disappointed with his lack of movement.

Picard promised to whomever took Data’s eyes that they would feel sorry about it for the rest of their lives, but opted to keep the promise to himself. For now, his _son_ was alive and moving, and that was all Picard could’ve asked for in that moment. Even when Spot started pawing at _him_ for attention. Everything was alright.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed!


End file.
